Con man faces lengthy jail term

A CUNNING con man who ruthlessly preyed on vulnerable women, fleecing them out of hundreds of thousands of pounds has been told to expect a lengthy jail sentence.

Kenneth Tait, 44, duped a series of women out of a total of 155,229.41.

Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie QC yesterday said: "These offences were shocking, calculated and predatory, perpetrated by you over long periods on a number of ladies, sometimes at very vulnerable periods in their lives. A number of your victims were left in complete ruin."

The sheriff added that due to the "despicable" nature of the offences she regarded her sentencing powers - a maximum of five years - as wholly inadequate and remitted the case to the High Court.

Tait, of Archer Park, Manchester, earlier pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud and one of theft carried out between January 1, 2000 and May 10, 2007 in Edinburgh and at various locations.